Tortured Nightmares
by NikkiSixx15
Summary: Somethings wrong with Regina. It's been going on ever since she absorbed the dark curse on the well. One person seems to notice more than the rest. Can someone help her? Rating of M will be earned, read at own risk. :)
1. Shattered

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. L This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write J Constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

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_**_STORY_**_

_Regina was shaking, hiding in her closet and wishing the nightmare she was living would end. Footsteps approaching her hiding spot proved she wasn't going to get her wish. The Evil Queen did not hide in a closet, yet it's exactly what she found herself doing. The door to the closet was jerked open and a hand wrapped around her wrist. Glass shards in the palm of the hand cut deeply into her flesh. Screaming in pain, she was drug across her bedroom floor. The floor was littered with shattered glass, cutting her to pieces as she thrashed in his grip._

Every mirror in her home was now shattered into a million tiny glass shards, covering her home like glitter. Every shard seemingly wanted to cut her as she was dragged towards her front door. She was in so much pain, every glass shard felt like fire as cut after cut painted her skin, blood was everywhere she could see.

Begging the figure to stop suddenly worked. The hand released her. The man turned slowly and glared at her before kneeling to her level. His eyes were pure glass, then he screamed. Pain exploded all of her senses. In her mind, in her body, in her heart. The scream was silent, but thousands of pieces of glass quickly cut her as they spewed from his open mouth. She felt every shard as they cut her. It was like a scene from a horror movie. Then she felt the large cut on her neck; she felt her blood pouring out. Taking her life with it. Slowly darkness began to swamp her, the pain finally gone. Then she was alone. No white light, no fiery depths, nothing. There was only silence, darkness, and her. She cried out. She couldn't be dead, she wasn't ready, this couldn't be happening, no.

Suddenly an image formed in the darkness, it was Henry's face. He was like smoke to her, almost a reflection, that's when it struck her. She was trapped in a mirror. All the shards in her home were now her prison. She watched Henry laugh at her, telling her good always beats evil. He was holding the only mirror left in her house still intact. He and Emma had apparently come looking to see why she wasn't in town, finding the destruction that was her home. It seemed like they didn't care. Of course, she wouldn't expect the Savior and the Savior's son, … her son, to care about the Evil Queen.

It was like a cruel joke though, because she knew better. She knew Emma's dedication to her job at least would guide her to find whoever had attacked her. She also knew Emma's sense of justice, she wouldn't treat her like the rest of the town and she wouldn't allow Henry to either. Yet there they were, almost smiling. Then laughing Henry hugged Emma before throwing the mirror he held to the floor, shattering it. 

_The mirror broke, and she broke. Her entire body was engulfed by the worst pain she'd ever felt. Screaming in agony as the pain and the hurt overtook her_.

**-Regina's Bedroom-**

Jerking awake wildly, Regina slammed face first into her nightstand. She'd been moving, trying to escape the pain, and she'd fallen to the floor in a tangled heap. She was panting, looking around frantically for anyone who might be after her. She was in her bedroom, alone, she was safe. No glass, no broken mirror, no laughing Emma and Henry. Her face and head throbbed painfully. She would definitely have a black eye in the morning, but she wasn't worried about that now.

Catching her breath and finally calming down, she moved to stand and winced as she put pressure on her arm. Slowly she looked down. Regina froze in shock. Right there, as clear as day, on her wrist was a bruise. The bruise was shaped like a handprint, and inside the handprint there were deep gashes. Gashes like glass had cut into her skin. What the hell? She didn't know what to think. Her arm hurt, and her head was throbbing, she couldn't think straight.

Quickly she bandaged her arm, using supplies from her bathroom. She didn't look up, almost afraid to see what the reflection in the mirror would show. Quickly she exited the bathroom, also avoiding the mirrors in her room before stepping into her hallway. The hallway, the only place in her home without a mirror. Right now, exactly where she wanted to be, she needed to focus.

She was shocked. Part of her nightmare had followed her back to reality. This was bad, this was very, very, very bad.

**_TBC_  
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	2. Responsibility Causes Pain

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. L This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write J Constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

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_**_STORY_  
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**-Next Day-  
**

Regina was tired, and her head was pounding. She'd come downstairs to her office to work after the disturbing nightmare. She'd been looking over a few papers when red drops had started to cover the edge. Her head was bleeding. She'd been so shaken when she had wrapped gauze around her wrist, she hadn't wanted to look in the mirror. She had been scared. She still hadn't looked in the mirror. Any mirror for that matter, and in her house not looking in a mirror was a chore. She'd avoided every one in her house though, until now, now she had to look into one.

Quickly she'd gone to the bathroom to see the damage, pausing before looking up to her reflection…everything was fine minus the head wound. Apparently she'd split her head open on her nightstands edge, a deep gash ran from above her eyebrow to below her temple. She simply bandaged it, hoping she was alright without stitches. Then she took an aspirin, and she had gone back to her paperwork.

Now she felt absolutely horrible. She was pretty sure she had successfully given herself a concussion. Walking from her office to her kitchen she became dizzy, the dizziness was followed by becoming very nauseous.

Regretfully she picked up her phone, calling her assistant to tell her she felt under the weather. Simply instructing her any and all calls should be forwarded to her home. She'd work from there for the rest of the day. That's why she had a home-office after all. When the task was complete she regarded the time sadly, Henry would be waking up for school soon. That upset her.

It upset her because she'd made plans with Henry almost a week and a half ago to spend time together this morning. Now she was going to have to break them. She was in no shape to risk driving him anywhere, and was truthfully in no shape for company.

Now that the curse was broken he rarely saw her, he had Emma to spend the days with. So the first chance she'd gotten she had asked Emma about possibly seeing him. Emma had recommended she invite him to breakfast before school one day, Regina had ran with the idea. She'd seen him the next day, two days after Emma and Snow's return to Storybrooke, and proposed they get breakfast one morning. Telling him she'd be happy to drop him at school after if he'd like; he'd actually agreed to the idea. He had even smiled, which inevitably had made her smile. The rest of her day had been good, there had been no killing her mood. Her night however was not good. It had been the first night she'd experienced a nightmare.

Even with the nightmares plaguing her daily, Regina had been looking forward to this morning since he'd agreed to spend it with her. It crushed her to have to cancel with Henry. After a brief pause, sadly regarding her phone, she dialed the Sheriff's number. Responsibility was not her friend today.

"Miss Swan, yes- yes I assumed he wasn't up yet." Regina took a deep breath and spoke again, "I have some urgent business I need to attend to this morning, if you would be so kind as to inform Henry that I won't be able-" her voice broke. She ground her teeth together and spoke again. "Please inform Henry I'm sorry." Quickly she hung up. She didn't wait for a response from Emma, she wasn't sure she could handle it.

She was angry. Angry at the nightmares, angry at missing her morning out with Henry, and mainly angry at herself. She should have been able to withstand the nightmares, she felt weak because she couldn't.

For the past two weeks she'd been having vivid, horrifying, nightmares. She was down to an hour or so of sleep a night. She had lost weight, and she was becoming physically unable to function at small tasks from lack of sleep. Yet, she had never had parts of the dream follow her back into her conscious body before. It disturbed her immensely. Things like that shouldn't happen, not even in Fairytale Land.

She knew people in town had noticed a difference in her, she could tell by how they watched her. Most were either too afraid to approach her, or simply didn't care. Only one person had really brought up the subject more than once, Emma. Emma had mentioned her weight loss once or twice. Emma had also brought up the bags underneath her eyes, she'd looked concerned and asked if she'd been sleeping alright. It wasn't altogether surprising, she was beginning to look like a zombie from one of Henry's movies, and she was down almost 15 pounds from the day Emma had gotten back to Storybrooke. The day the curse unleashed on the well had been absorbed into her body, conveniently that had become her perfect excuse.

Regina had managed to get away with not answering Emma every time she'd pried to hard. Since the dreams had started almost directly after she absorbed that curse, she would simply shrug and blame it on saving them. It was a sore spot for Emma, hastily Regina would remind her of the horrible side effects one must endure when using magic. It always made Emma uncomfortable, she felt guilty, and Regina knew it. That's why she'd chosen that excuse, it usually shut Emma up long enough for her to get away.

**_TBC_  
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	3. Alone

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

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**_STORY_**

Standing in her kitchen she suddenly felt very alone, maybe she should have opened up to Emma when she'd asked all those times. Maybe she should have told her the truth, she couldn't sleep, and the nightmares were so horrible she didn't have the stomach to eat anymore. No, that would have been weak, and she'd refused to ever let herself be weak again, at least where anyone could see. Yet, here alone in her kitchen tears welled up in her eyes.

Realizing Henry would probably be disappointed she skipped the morning with him. Sadly, she wondered if he would agree to try again, or if he would even want to give her another chance to spend time with him. She'd probably just blown her only chance, and it crushed her. Somewhere deep down she wondered if it hadn't been Emma, the Savior herself, who'd convinced Henry to agree to the breakfast in the first place. She knew Emma had seen the excitement in her eyes at the chance, and the blonde had walked away texting someone with a small smile after the conversation. Henry had also seemed to almost know where their conversation was going to go as she had proposed the idea.

Suddenly she didn't feel so well. Deciding she'd get a glass of water and sit down to rest for a while she went to her cabinets for a glass. As she passed her sink she sighed, ignoring the pile of dishes sitting in it. She hated mess, if she had to admit it she would say she had an almost OCD cleaning trait. She'd needed to do them for a week now, she just never seemed to have the energy. Getting her glass she went towards the refrigerator for the water, stopping at the sink with distaste. She already felt horrible, maybe she should do them and get it over with. Realizing it might get her mind off of the thoughts it was currently stuck on she abandoned her glass on the island behind her and turned the water on to begin her task.

The process was slow , taking twice as long as it normally would have. She kept having to take a pause when her head would throb painfully, or lean on the edge of the sink when she would lose her equilibrium and sway slightly. When she was done though, she actually felt better. It was stupid but she felt like she'd beaten her own body, she'd made it bend to her will and accomplish a task, it made her feel a little less weak. To reward herself she reacquired her glass, a drink of water and much needed rest back in her sights.

Her body decided to punish her mastery of it. Her vision blurred and the room pitched forward as her coordination disappeared. Her head began to pound and she felt her legs wobble, dizziness invaded her world violently. Reaching out, hoping to balance herself on the islands counter top she misjudged the distance and she ended up knocking the glass to the floor. Her body followed. The shattering of the glass mug caused her to tense in remembered pain and fear. Half a second before she landed in the pile of newly broken glass with a gasp. The pieces were thick and sharp, cutting her hands as she tried to brace herself. She barely managed to keep herself on her hands and knees, fighting the dark spots invading her vision. Resisting as they tried pulling her towards an unconscious bliss, and somehow she gained control, somehow she managed to stay conscious.

Panting and utterly exhausted she felt her headache ease and relaxed with a whimper of pain. Leaning back off of her hands and examining them. She'd had a white-knuckled grip on the floor as she'd fought the unconscious feeling. Now her hands were a bloody mess, and glass was embedded deeply in her palms. Oddly, the first thought she had was of the fact she no longer had a full set of her favorite glass mugs. Had she not been so tired and in so much pain she would have laughed at her ridiculous thought pattern. As it was she actually felt worry wash over her, she was losing it. Losing her grasp on sanity a minute at a time.

She needed to get up and bandage her hands, the were bleeding heavily. She needed to get out of the glass covered kitchen. She needed to not feel like she was on a permanent ride through Jefferson's blasted hat. Trying to stand the room faltered and she sat down, realizing none of those things would be quick to arrive. She was done, out of energy she slowly pulled her knees to her chest and laid her forehead on them.

She'd let herself rest for a few minutes, then she would make herself get up. Just a few minutes and she would be able to stand. She took a deep breath and then another, slowly she felt better. Good, just another minute and she just stand right up, yeah just a few more seconds...

**_TBC_**

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	4. Stable Dream

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

*****This chapter is one of the ones for the M rating, you have been warned... possible trigger points for some people, and slightly darker twist to it... *****

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**_STORY_**

Standing in the Storybrooke stables Regina felt confused, she'd just been at her home... oh no. she'd allowed herself to fall asleep, she spun around wildly, trying to see what wickedness would soon plague her.

_She froze, unbelieving. Daniel was sitting on the other side of the stable, perched on a bale of hay, relaxing in the sun that shone through the door._

_"__Daniel?"_

_She hadn't even managed to whisper but he turned, regarding her with a blank look. She smiled t him, hoping her dreams would just let her have this moment. Hoping her nightmares were giving her a reprieve, wondering if maybe she was dying and the nightmares had given up._

_"__Daniel, its you." She walked toward him briskly, she didn't even feel slightly tired and she loved it. To hell with everything, she didn't care if she was dying. For once in the past two weeks she felt like herself again. It was amazing, until she laid her hand on his forearm, finally reaching him. His face contorted to one of anger and hurt. "Daniel, whats wrong?" Regina was suddenly very aware of her hand on his arm, but this was Daniel, he wouldn't hurt her. _

_Quickly he shattered that sense of safety. Violently he grabbed her arm, taking it into his strong grip and then he shoved her away from him. Shoved her hard, knocking her back into the wall of one of the stable stalls. He stepped inside the stall and pulled the door shut behind him slowly._

_Regina was shocked, she absently rubbed her arm, his grip had hurt. _

_"__You are the problem, you are evil, you are horribly evil." standing at the door still he looked at her with distaste and shook his head._

_"__Daniel, don't say that," Regina frowned, hurt by his words._

_He moved fast, pinning her back to the splintering wood wall forcefully before practically yelling in her face. "DO NOT TREAT ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR SUBJECTS!"_

_"__Daniel, you are hurting me." Regina was shaking in fear, she'd never been witness to any mood of Daniel's similar to this. He was terrifying when he was angry, and he was very angry._

_"__You deserve it." _

_Regina's arms were aching under his harsh grip, yet his words hurt her more than anything. A tear slipped down her face as he continued._

_"__You are the reason I am dead. I wasted my life for you, with you. It was stupid. I should never have given you the time of day, it was all worth nothing to you anyway."_

_"__It was worth everything to me, don't say that. I loved you, I still lo-" He angrily shook his head and cut her off._

_"__Lies, I don't want to hear your lies! You married that old man, married the King for power and wealth. You married him and gave him what I earned with my life!" Quickly Daniel shoved one of his legs between hers and leaned into her, indicating what he'd been referring to._

_Regina shuddered and let out a sob. "I didn't want to marry him. I didn't want to sleep with him. Daniel please, I loved you, I never wanted- he, he made me. I didn't want him." She barely finished the sentence, dream or not she had never uttered the words before. Never spoken against the King, never said she hadn't been a willing wife to her royal husband, not until now. She cried harder as he looked disgusted._

_"__You should have fought him!" Daniel glared at her, "You probably enjoyed yourself, didn't you?"_

_Regina shook her head no quickly._

_"__You liar. You sicken me." At that he spit in her face and released her. Stepping away as if to leave._

_"__Daniel!" Regina reached for his arm stopping him and making him look at her, she had to make him believe her. "I fought him, I swear I did. I fought him until I was so badly beaten I couldn't move. I fought him so hard the first time he broke my collarbone, shattered three ribs, and fractured my wrist! I hated it, I hated him, he was not the kind King everyone else saw when I was with him. He was a monster who thought he owned me." By now tears were flowing down her face as she pleaded with Daniel. "I wanted him to be you, I love you."_

_Daniel smiled slightly and looked at her like he used to so long ago, but something in his eyes was off._

_Regina didn't notice it though and she thought she'd convinced him. Thought she'd gotten through to him. Until he spoke, his voice was cold as ice, and his words were fire._

_"__You are a liar, you are also ruined goods Regina love. Don't worry though, I just wanted to see how far you would take your betrayal, its refreshing to see your commitment to the lie. You didn't think I was going to leave did you?"_

_Regina was frozen, she felt dread rise in her chest as she realized this dream was soon to become a nightmare just like the rest._

_"__That's right Regina, I have every intention of getting what was never given to me." His arm flew up and his fist slammed into her face, knocking her to the hay covered floor in a tangled heap. _

_Before she could process what was going on his foot buried itself in her side and she screamed in pain. The remembered feeling of ribs cracking echoed in her as his foot met her body again with a sickening crunch._

_"__Daniel! Please stop, PLEASE!" Regina gasped the plea out through the pain and he actually complied. She looked up at him and watched as he knelt down beside her. That horrible look still on his face._

_"__Oh, look at you, Poor Regina."_

_"__Dan-Daniel please. Don't do this, not like this. You want me? I'm yours. Just please, please not like this, not like him..." Sobbing she wished to wake up with the very same breath she sacrificed her body to the nightmare version of her Daniel. It was too real, it was to sore a subject, and she just wanted the pain to stop._

_"__Regina, I know you are mine. You always were, like a lost little puppy to shelter. Look at the pain and destruction you've caused people for stealing me from you, I know you are mine. I practically own you. I intend to put that old man to shame my love, in so many ways. I will be just like him, yet oh so much worse. You chose his spoiled daughter and him over me, you have to pay for that. You thought you knew pain with that old half-cripple? I'll show you the meaning of pain for all you have taken from me." Daniel smiled at her. "You are mine, and nothing can stop me."_

**_TBC_**

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	5. Wake Up

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

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**_STORY_**

"Regina!"

Suddenly Regina was back in her kitchen, a very confused looking Emma Swan now present.

Emma was kneeling in the pieces of glass the broken mug had created. She was holding onto Regina's wrists and not moving.

"Let me go." Regina barely recognized her own voice, and it couldn't have been more than a whisper. None the less, Emma dropped her wrists like they were hot coals.

"Of course, sorry." Emma backed off of her a bit but stayed within arms length.

Regina instantly regretted the broken contact. Now the warmth from Emma's hands left her, and cold filled the void.

She felt broken. Broken from the nightmare she'd just managed to escape. It had been Daniel, but it hadn't been the Daniel she'd known. She was still shaking from the fear, and she ached from his violent treatment. Most of all she felt cold, from what had happened, from what he'd been about to do. She shivered and her ribs protested the move, apparently she had a new injury. Another token of her dream's affection for her.

"Regina-" Emma was still looking at her confused, and slightly scared.

"What are you- why are you here?" Regina still sounded nothing like her usually brazen, confident self. She sounded more like a frightened child and made a mental note to fix it next time she spoke. She was a Queen, and a Mayor, she couldn't sound weak.

"When you bailed out on Henry-" Emma saw Regina wince and chastised herself for her word choice. "When you couldn't make it this morning I thought maybe something was wrong. I went to your office-" Regina interrupted her.

"I advised my assistant I'd be working from my home office today." Her voice was getting stronger, barely. She couldn't hide from the broken, shattered, feeling plaguing her. She felt like she was going to be forced to live with the nightmares until they killed her. Like there was nothing she could do to stop them. Her thoughts phrasing sent chills down her spine.

"I know, I was there. When I was told you weren't coming in I knew something was up and came straight here. I knew you wouldn't have missed out on time with Henry for just anything, I- I was worried." Now it was Emma's turn to speak quietly.

"I'm fine-" Regina moved to sit up more and winced as pain washed over her senses.

"Of course you are, very convincing wince Regina. I'm not buying it. Aside from the wince you are laying in a pile of glass, covered in cuts and blood. You already have bandages on your head and wrist, and I could hear your screaming as I approached your porch." Emma paused waiting for Regina to respond.

"I am fine Dear- just suffering some acute symptoms of absorbing a certain curse for you and your loving mother, or have you forgotten?" Regina's voice was soft, and lacked the conviction to be believable. She wasn't even sure why she was trying to lie to Emma anymore, Emma was smart enough to know her excuse was crap by now.

"Bullshit Regina!"

Regina tensed at Emma's tone, a knee-jerk reaction from having too many violent dreams. She was hoping Emma missed it, it was evident when she spoke again she hadn't.

Emma saw the reaction Regina had to her voice, it made her all the more curious to know what was going on. Softening her tone she continued, "I am not accepting your boring curse excuse anymore. There is more to it than that, I had hoped you would take care of it so I let you have your excuse. No more Regina. What is going on?"

Regina looked up and sighed, defeated. At the same time she felt small comfort in the fact someone would know what was going on. "I haven't been sleeping."

"Nightmares?" Emma was sure there was more to it than that but she waited for a response.

Regina paused, still debating letting Emma in but ultimately she gave up. There was no intent in the blondes words, and she was so tired of holding it all in. "Yes."

**_TBC_**

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	6. Broken

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

*****This chapter is slightly Swan Queen, but not horribly so. I haven't decided if they will be friends at the end of this story, or maybe more... I'd love your opinions though!*********

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**_STORY_**

Emma was looking her over like she was insane, she was tired not crazy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Emma swept her hand around the kitchen in a vague gesture. "Regina, I could hear you screaming half-way up your driveway. If you didn't live so secluded from the town someone might have called me anyway. I rushed in to see you laying on the floor thrashing around in this pile of glass. I shook you and nothing, I had to scream and jerk you awake. I assumed a nightmare was part of the issue."

It was the first time Regina really considered the surroundings. Yes she knew she was laying in glass, yes she knew she was injured, but it just hadn't clicked until right then.

"-Sorry about the door, I'll fix it, I thought someone was in here. Sorry I grabbed you."

Emma had still been talking as she'd registered the mess surrounding them. She only caught the tail end of her sentence, something about her door, before she realized Emma's knees were right in the middle of the pile of glass. Her pants were slowly becoming red with blood. She'd gotten cut trying to keep her from thrashing in it.

"You OK Regina?"

"You are bleeding." Without thinking Regina reached out and touched Emma's knee softly, like she was dealing with a child.

"I could say the same thing about you your majesty." Emma waved her hand again, indicating Regina's hands and legs. She watched in slight amazement as Regina regarded her wounds, like she hadn't even realized she had them.

"It seems you are right." Regina sat up, wincing at the sudden movement, but knowing she had to get out of the glass. Before she knew it Emma slid an arm around her back and under her shoulders. She assumed Emma was going to help her stand, she was wrong.

Emma swept her other arm under Regina's knees and lifted her easily off the floor and into the air. Regina tensed at the movement and she looked down into her eyes.

Regina grabbed Emma's shoulders like the blonde was going to throw her across the room at any second and looked up. Right into the blondes eyes. "What are you doing?!" Her voice was slightly louder with shock, and it sounded more like her normal voice. There was a small bonus to the shock at least.

"Regina, there is glass everywhere and you are barefooted, still in your sleeping shorts. Don't you think your legs have received enough abuse already? This is better for you and its quicker." Emma couldn't help but realize how much weight Regina had lost. Sure, she'd made the comment a few times but now, with the brunette in her arms worry swam rampant through her. Regina was still in decent physical condition by normal standards, but by Regina's standards she was thin. The curves the older woman had once flaunted in tight dress suits were now gone, leaving behind an empty frame.

"-Put me down." Regina could tell Emma had only caught the tail end of her rant and sighed in annoyance. "What now?"

"You haven't been eating." It wasn't a question.

Regina didn't respond right away, and she was sure her hesitation answered the unasked question enough. "My appetite hasn't been normal of late, you can put me down now."

Emma would have laughed at Regina's excuse if the situation hadn't been as it was. "No, we are going upstairs to your bathroom, I remember Henry telling me it is black tile, we won't make a mess in there." Emma looked down again as she approached the stairs, almost daring Regina to argue. "Wouldn't want to fill the Queens home with blood would we?" Emma grinned at Regina.

Regina smiled just barely at the comment, "No, we can't have the wolves pawing at the door can we. The bathroom is just inside the master bedroom, which is to the left of the stairs." Regina didn't say anything else as Emma just nodded and headed forward.

Regina relaxed in her grip, ever so lightly, as she climbed the stairs. It was like Regina didn't want her to notice. She did of course, but she wasn't going to say anything about it. Emma had never seen the woman in her arms act so, normal, before today. Her heart actually went out to the woman.

She knew it was hard for her now, with the whole town remembering who they were and who she'd been. She hadn't known Regina in the past though, so all she was able to see was the woman who'd raised her son. The woman who just wanted to have a family, who just wanted a happy ending for herself. She couldn't blame her for that. Its all she had wanted all her life. It hurt knowing this woman was the reason she hadn't had parents as a child, but the more she got to know her the more she began to understand her. It seemed like Regina had always been someone's pawn, she'd never been allowed to be herself, much the same way Emma had been pay-checks to her foster families.

Emma felt a damp spot forming on her shoulder and her heart actually broke. The last few weeks have had to have been hell on the woman to break her down this far. To have taken the kick-ass, take no prisoners, Evil-freaking Queen for heavens sake, and break her down to this shell of a woman crying on her shoulder. She didn't dare make it apparent she knew what was happening, for fear the older woman would retreat back into herself. Emma simply reached the bathroom and set Regina on the edge of the counter. Emma made sure she turned to look in the medical cabinet to the left long enough for Regina to compose herself.

"Thank you." Regina realized what Emma was doing, she was thankful. Her voice was barely a whisper, but she was sure Emma heard her.

Emma had almost missed it, the brunette had been so quiet. She knew what Regina meant, but she gave the woman an out anyway. "Of course, you weren't that heavy." Then she laid a hand on Regina's forearm and smiled at her as she nodded lightly.

"Thank you for waking me up earlier as well, it was becoming- very unpleasant." Regina looked away from the blonde as she spoke that time. Knowing what was coming but now wanting to hear the question.

"The name you'd been screaming, he was hurting you in the nightmare right?" Emma thought the name sounded familiar to her but she couldn't place it.

"Yes, he-" Regina stopped and looked back into Emma's eyes. "Yes,"

"Why do I recognize the name?" Emma knew it was there, right on the tip of her tongue.

"Daniel, you recognize it?" Regina was sure she'd never mentioned Daniel to Emma.

"Yeah, Daniel, I know it, I've heard it before- oh." Emma realized she'd heard the name from Cora in Fairytale Land. She said it when she'd spoke of her daughter betraying her for a stable boy, trying to run away with him over love when she was proposed to by the King. Suddenly she remembered. Remembering made it worse, now she knew what ever had been happening in the nightmare had to have been awful for Regina.

"He was my fiance' before the King, my mother-" Regina couldn't speak.

"She killed him in front of you." Emma finished for her.

"How did you know that?" Regina was shocked.

"Your mo- Cora, had brought it up when I'd asked her why you hated her so much." Emma didn't know what to say next. She took to bandaging Regina's legs as the shocked look on the brunettes face faded.

"So, you broke down my door?" Regina couldn't think of anything else to change the subject so she went back to something Emma had said downstairs, it was Emma's turn to look up, shock on her face.

"Well, yeah, I- sorry." It was all she could say to the random question, then she went back to bandaging Regina's wounds. The air in the room definitely lighter from the statement though.

**_TBC_**

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**So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!**


	7. Rest

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**_STORY_**

It took Emma almost a half an hour to bandage the gashes on Regina's legs and palms, and to re-bandage the wounds on both her wrist and forehead. She could tell some of the spots probably needed more attention than home care could provide but Regina was very adamant they not go to the hospital. Of course, she knew Regina didn't like Dr. Whale but she didn't realize how much. While she had been away it had increased, something had changed. That's all she could gather.

Regina couldn't have taken seeing Dr. Whale after what he'd done to Daniel, the monster he'd created out of her fiance'. She didn't mention any of this to Emma while she was being doctored, and she had no intentions of ever mentioning it to her. She did however let it slip who he really was.

"That body resurrecting Frankenstein, is NOT laying a finger on me!"

"Whoa - Dr. Whale is Frankenstein? Like, the, Frankenstein? That's wild." Emma was confused by the news, she'd thought only the classic fairytale characters were here, apparently she'd been wrong. Despite everything curiosity got the better of her. "How did he-"

"Its a terribly confusing tale, and it involves the Hat we used to snare the Wraith with."

Emma left it alone, anything Jefferson related gave her a freaking headache, now she didn't want to know. "Madame Mayor, I believe I am through."

"Just use my name Miss Swan, I won't bite."

Emma arched her eyebrow at the statement, "Good to see you feel a little better." Yet she couldn't believe such a cliche statement had just come from Regina's mouth, she'd almost expected the word 'hard' to follow. It hadn't, and she was glad. "I have a first name also you know."

Regina couldn't help but smirk as she watched Emma's reaction to her biting comment. She did feel slightly better, and after feeling like re-warmed Chimera for the past two weeks she couldn't help but joke. She also found it amusing how Emma had made it a point to tell her to stop calling her Miss Swan. "Of course, Emma, you can stop with the Madame Mayor and Your Majesty bits. Quite frankly neither holds much power when associated with me anyway." Regina frowned at her own words, it still upset her she'd lost what little control she'd had throughout the Town.

"Fine, and as much as I want to know what the hell is going on here, and I mean everything, you need rest." Emma steadied Regina and helped her off of the counter. "How do the legs feel?"

"Like they will withstand another day, thank you. I could explain now if you'd prefer?" Regina was not looking forward to rest, or anything possibly ending with her nodding off into another dream. Cursing as she saw the look Emma gave her, for once the blonde was going to be patient? Oh for heavens sake, what was wrong with her world lately.

"You don't look well. As much as I am dying to know about the hand-print on your wrist, or the gash in your forehead. Very nice shiner you earned with that by the way. Or, as much as I'd love the story behind your broken ribs- you need rest. Rest is what you are going to do."

"My ribs aren't-" Regina was cut off.

"Do not lie to me Regina. No more. Not after today, not again. I want the truth when you tell me what's going on, no more excuses. I know you have at lest two broken ribs, and you know I am right."

Regina couldn't believe Emma had caught the fact she had broken ribs. She had once been a master at hiding pain. From broken ribs to broken arms. When she was married to the King he'd warned her, to get caught by his court would be her end, not his. She'd never so much as gotten a second glance from the castle doctors, or as close as they'd had in Fairytale Land. No one had seen her even feigning an injury in over 6 years, yet Emma had caught it in a half an hour. She must be slipping.

"Regina, look I know your ribs are broken because I've had mine broken enough to see the signs, I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. I'm sorry I brought it up. You need to go rest, I need to bandage my legs, and we both need non-blood covered clothes." Emma wondered why Regina was looking at her different, she'd assumed it was because she'd called her out on the ribs but now she wasn't sure.

"I think you are right on the clothes," Regina looked her right in the eyes, "I was trying to picture you in something other than your classic white tee and red leather jacket." Truthfully she had been picturing such a sight, she'd also been thinking about Emma's broken ribs comment. Wondering how many times they'd been broken, and what the situation had been.

Emma smiled. "Hey, I like my jacket."

"Its horrible, I don't have anything like it. Yet, I am sure I can find something." Regina walked out of the bathroom at a limping pace. She left the door slightly ajar and moved towards her closet. She was going to change, then find something for Emma.

Emma shook her head and processed the days events as she peeled her blood soaked jeans off. This morning she was pissed Regina hadn't spent time with Henry, then she'd been worried about her, then terrified she was being killed. Now she was standing in her bathroom half naked after having just bandaged the older woman up. It was all a lot for her to take in. She looked down and hissed in pain as she went about cleaning the wounds.

Most of the cuts were nothing more than agitating surface scratches, but she had a few gashes she was going to have to watch carefully. She had even picked a few pieces of glass out of her knee. Regina had been thrashing violently when she'd burst into the house. She'd had no idea what she was going to find, yet when she found Regina fighting with no one but herself she hadn't though. She'd just acted. Earning a handful of terrified Regina and two legs full of angry glass. Some of the gashes were definitely deep enough to hurt like a son-of-a-bitch and as she began wrapping them with gauze Regina's voice startled her.

"Some of those look quite deep, if you want to go have them looked at-" Regina so didn't want the blonde to leave, but even she couldn't deny some of Emma's wounds were even worse than her own.

"I will be fine, I have no intentions of leaving until you rest." Emma looked up at Regina, but she kept wrapping her legs as she did. Regina was just watching her motions. The older woman now wore long black pajama pants and a blue silk nightshirt. She was holding what looked like matching clothes, yet the shirt was green. "Are those for me?" Emma was only slightly embarrassed when she realized Regina was seeing her in her underwear, she was actually relieved the woman was seeing her in her underwear. Relieved because usually she didn't wear any. Good choice today Em, this could have been very awkward. She chuckled at her mental comment and stood to take the clothes from Regina who'd nodded yes.

"Are you sure you don't want to get-" Regina was silenced by Emma laying a finger on her lips, lips which immediately burned like fire.

"I am not leaving. Give me a few minutes to finish up in here and I will not only straighten up the mess, but I will wipe up all the blood." Emma smiled as Regina smiled.

"Are you capable of all of that Dear?" She was surprised she was in a joking mood, maybe she had finally gone crazy. Maybe she just spoke to remove the fingers from her lips.

"Now, go rest," Emma moved her hand away from Regina, it had hovered like she'd need to silence her again. Then she left her standing in the bathroom doorway, as she went back into the bathroom. "Now Regina."

"I'll go sit in here if it will make you happy, but I don't need rest." Regina left the doorway and sat on her bed, propping her pillows in such a way that she was sitting against the headboard instead of laying down. She was going to just relax and wait for Emma to get through in her bathroom. Then she was going to get up. She was not going to fall asleep...

**_TBC_**

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So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!


	8. Just Stop

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

*****This chapter is one of the ones for the M rating, you have been warned... possible trigger points for some people, and slightly darker twist to it... *****

* * *

**_STORY_**

_"__Nothing you hear me?" _

_A fist slammed into her face. It was a shock, and she looked around to try and figure out what was going on. She realized quickly she was back in the stables, exactly where the last dream had left off. This was not good._

_Daniel used the distraction to straddle her waist._

_She felt her pulse quicken at the proximity. Even in this horrible dream her body responded to him like it used to, she was beginning to hate herself for it._

_"__Daniel please! Don't do this. You don't want to do this! You are nothing like the King, you would never have hurt me! Regina managed to wriggle loose and tried to crawl away from him. Daniel caught her ankle and jerked her back under him. His hips and thighs were around her waist, pinning her to the floor with his weight._

_"__You never got to be my wife Regina. What makes you think I wouldn't have been a worse husband than the King? Yes, you and I loved each other. At the end of the day Regina you still would have been my wife. Maybe all my kindness towards you would have given way to a tyrant at night. Did you never even consider the possibility, Regina my love?" Daniel smiled wickedly, then he kissed her. It was nothing like the kisses in the past they'd shared, this kiss was cold, rough, and possessive._

_For the first time ever Regina cringed at Daniels touch. He was scaring her. This nightmare version of Daniel was poisoning all the good memories she had left from before. This Daniel was invading her mind and pushing all the good memories of her Daniel out into the abyss._

_"__You loved me Daniel. You wouldn't have hurt me. I know the truth. You don't scare me." Despite her words, Regina's voice shook with fear as Daniel ran his hands over her body._

_"__Are you so sure I wouldn't have hurt you? At the end of the day you would have had certain duties to fulfill as a wife. You would have suffered at my hands rather than the Kings. Yet you still say I wouldn't have hurt you? Naive thoughts don't suit you dear." Daniel touched her cheek lightly._

_Regina twitched at his touch and closed her eyes tightly as she felt tears threatening to fall._

_"__So glad you aren't scared of me dear." Daniel leaned down and kissed her again. "Look at me now Regina. So soft, so loving." Daniel moved to kiss her pulse point. "Do you agree dear?" His lips pressed against her neck and she froze._

_She felt her body relax even after the tense moment when his lips touched her neck. She gasped at the feeling, she could almost remember the old Daniel as he proceeded to kiss her neck. Then he was gone, replaced by this new, cold, frightening Daniel in an instant. _

_With a sick chuckle Daniel opened his mouth and bit her neck. His teeth broke flesh and his hands trailed down her body, ripping her shirt open and heading for her slacks. _

_Regina thrashed around, more from his touch than the pain. The pain was intense sure, but it was nothing compared to the broken feeling she was beginning to experience. More pain filled her senses as his teeth clamped down harder and his hands tried to force her slacks down. Screaming in pain she kneed him and he released her. She could feel the blood rolling down her neck._

_Immediately he grabbed her flailing wrists and pinned them to the ground above her head, switching to hold them with one hand. He punched her. Then he punched her again._

_"__What do you think about me now Regina!" Another punch. "Tell me!" One more punch._

_Regina jerked her hips and tossed his body off to the side of hers. He never lost his grip on her hands._

_Scrambling he straddled her again. "Fight me, yes love. Fight me." He laughed and reared back to hit her again._

_Regina felt his grip on her wrists slip for a second. It was her only chance and she took it. Regina shut her eyes and broke free of his grasp. Praying this nightmare would just end, she just wanted this horror to stop. She remembered where his face had been and punched, hard._

**_TBC_**

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So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!


	9. Left Hook

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

Kudos go out to a reviewer who saw where I was going with this:) Good catch!

{_ Elusive Whisper __1/29/13 . chapter 8 -__I really love this story. Very interesting to see Regina loosing control like that. I feel sorry for her though. Am I the only one who expects that she punched Emma because she was trying to wake her? That would be fun :p }_

* * *

**_STORY_**

Emma saw the fist coming at her, but she wasn't quick enough to get out of its way. Regina punched her and she fell off of the side of the bed where she'd been perched. Regina packed one hell of a punch. She hit the ground hard, dazed and bleeding from her now broken nose.

Regina, now awake, covered her face with her hands. She moved them only long enough to regard Emma on her floor in a bloody heap, then she covered her face again.

"I'm so- I didn't mean to hit you."

Emma lifted her hand to her face and felt the damage.

Regina instantly felt embarrassed, and horrible. Her body ached, her head pounded, her side throbbed. She could feel her arms burning where the cuts were, and her neck was killing her. Oh no, her neck. She moved a hand from her face and touched her neck, pulling it away she could see the blood on her fingertips. Great, not only had she hit Emma but she had another mark from another nightmare.

Emma saw the bite-mark on Regina's neck and things began to make more sense. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place in her head, and she could almost hit herself she felt so stupid. The lack of sleep Regina had obviously been getting, the unexplained wounds, and Regina's lack of wanting to rest made more sense now.

"Your nightmares-" Emma paused, waiting for Regina to come out from behind her hands and listen to her.

Regina looked at her slightly, listening, waiting for Emma to yell at her.

"You're getting hurt, physically?" Emma didn't understand how, or why, but she knew it's what was happening.

"Yes." Regina let her hands fall to her lap, but she looked down as they fell, ashamed at the admission. "I, I'm sorry I hit you, I wasn't trying- I didn't- I just- sorry." Regina finally stopped her ramble and waited. She was still expecting Emma to be angry at her.

"Hell, I just wish whoever or whatever earned it would have gotten it." Emma got to her feet slowly and smiled.

Regina was confused, "Excuse me?"

"What do you mean 'excuse me'? For a righty you pack a seriously mean left hook." Emma smiled at her brightly, despite the blood coating her chin and running down her face and lips.

Surprisingly Regina smiled at the sight, boy she must really be exhausted. She felt relaxed though, despite the past hour's events. "Thanks, Daniel-" She felt like someone had stolen her air and punched her in the stomach. Her smile faded, Daniel had been the one who'd taught her to fight. He'd taught her to fight like a boy, and to show no weakness. She wondered if all his memories would be tainted now. If all her memories involving him would make her feel so sick and broken.

"Daniel?" Emma sensed something was off, and she saw Regina wince at the name. Why was Regina wincing at her old fiance's name. Emma didn't know what was wrong but she could tell it wasn't good.

"He taught me to fight. He was amazing, but- the nightmare, the version of him in it-" Regina's voice faltered.

"He's in your nightmares?" It shocked Emma a little, then a thought hit her. "I take it he's not the Daniel you remember?" Emma almost didn't want to hear Regina's answer. She had a feeling, from the intimate location of the bite-mark on the brunettes neck, what had been happening in Regina's nightmare.

"The nightmare version of Daniel is violent. Very violent, and very angry at me."

"Regina, its only a nightmare." Emma looked down and suddenly realized she was still holding her dirty shirt in her hands. Regina's screaming had brought her out of the restroom at a run. She'd changed her clothes and started to clean up when the screaming had started. She lifted it to her face and wiped the blood away with it. Then she sat next to Regina. "Regina its not really him, it's not Daniel, not really." Emma got the blood off of her face and threw the soiled shirt back into the bathroom as Regina watched. "I'll get it later, promise."

"I expect you to." Regina smiled slightly.

"Glad to see the old Regina's still in there." Emma moved herself higher onto the bed and leaned back against the pillows Regina had positioned earlier. "Look, you need to rest, and you obviously can't rest by yourself." Emma expected an argument as she opened her arms and waited.

Regina rolled her eyes, then she moved to lean against Emma's shoulder. She was too tired to argue with the frustrating blonde.

"I promise, first sign of trouble and I'll wake you up right away." Emma wrapped her left arm around Regina's shoulders and leaned her head back on the headboard. She watched as Regina nodded and closed her eyes. She realized right then how tired Regina really was. She'd received no argument, and she was not dead, both were signs the great 'Evil Queen' was not herself. Truth be told, she kind of liked the new Regina. Of course she'd like the new Regina better if nightmares weren't plaguing her every resting moment. Torturing her as they were, no one deserved that, not even Regina.

Regina shut her eyes and listened to Emma's breathing. Within moments she was asleep.

**_TBC_**

* * *

So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!


	10. Blue Lightning

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

*****This chapter is one of the ones for the M rating, you have been warned... possible trigger points for some people, and slightly darker twist to it... *****

* * *

**_STORY_**

_Regina's first realization was of nothing, she was nowhere and no one was around. She somehow knew she was asleep but she wasn't dreaming. It was total blackness and she simply enjoyed it as she felt her body recharging from weeks of being denied the chance._

Emma watched as Regina slept. Regina didn't thrash and she didn't act like she was having a nightmare so things were looking good so far. Emma felt awkward laying in the brunettes bed, watching her sleep, it seemed like she was being witness to something she shouldn't be. Yet at the same time she felt oddly comfortable, if someone had asked her to explain the feeling she was positive she wouldn't be able to. Emma used her free hand to brush a strand of hair from Regina's face. Regina looked almost peaceful. Emma took the time to really think about the woman beside her. Regina was changing, she knew it and Henry knew it, but everyone else ignored the obvious signs. She had to smile at the thought, she was glad she and Henry had agreed on him going to breakfast with his mom.

The day Regina had asked about hanging with Henry she'd texted him. Henry had mentioned he had been wanting to ask Emma if he could, but he hadn't wanted to upset her. His words had hit a nerve, she saved the texts they'd shared. She planned to use them to remind herself of her feelings if she ever did felt left out of Henry's life. She had sent him a reply stating nothing would hurt her feelings when it came to him wanting to see Regina. After all Regina was his mom, and she respected Regina's position in his life. Evil Queen or not she'd been a loving mother to Henry, and it was so important he have that in his life. She knew what it felt like not to, and she would never let Henry feel like she had as a kid.

While she was lost in thought she missed the light purple smoke filtering up from below the bed. It edged over the sides of the mattress and Regina inhaled it as Emma yawned and leaned her head back against the headboard. Emma closed her eyes and relaxed, she was just going to rest a bit. She was sure she would feel anything if Regina had another nightmare. Emma felt her body relaxing and sleep dragged her under.

_Regina felt something beginning to change with the surroundings. Slowly her blissful blackness and nothingness began to brighten and blur. It was like a super slow motion movie trying to start up. The colors began to melt into solid shapes, and she realized with distress it was the stable coming into view. She felt her body begin to return to the position it had been in before she'd woken up the last time, she prayed Emma would wake her soon. She winced as the pain began to return, then almost like someone hit fast forward the nightmare picked up speed. She panicked._

_Emma opened her eyes, apparently she was dreaming. She saw the Storybrooke stables and she was confused, she turned and saw a stable door closed behind her, then she heard Regina scream._

_Regina felt her body moving, she was swinging a punch. Oh no, she wasn't as committed to hitting Daniel now, she knew the pain it was going to earn her. Then she felt her fist meet flesh and she froze, opening her eyes fear engulfed her. Daniel looked beyond angry, his lip was bleeding, and he was looking at her. Daniel grabbed her neck, wrapping his fingers tightly around it. She reached up, her newly released arms pried at his hand, it was painful and she couldn't breath. His other hand found her slacks and jerked._

"_This game is over, you are mine Regina." _

_Regina screamed, using the last bit of air she had. She couldn't believe this, she couldn't fight anymore and as she felt her slacks jerked down she waited. She waited for pain she waited for anything. What she didn't expect was for Daniel's body to be violently ripped off of hers. _

_Emma had slung the stable door open, finding Regina under some guy and she just acted. Regina's face had been the picture of pain and terror, she looked so broken. Now a hand closed around her neck and she was thrown across the stable. She felt herself slide out the stall's door, then it was slammed shut. Shit._

_Regina opened her eyes in shock and rolled to her side gasping for air. She could see two bodies in a tangled heap next to her, fighting violently. It was then she saw the blonde locks on the second person, it was Emma. How was Emma here, in her nightmare? It wasn't possible, but quite frankly she didn't care. Then she watched as Daniel managed to throw Emma out of the stall door and wedge it closed before turning back to face her._

_Emma ran to it and she tried to jerk the door open, it didn't work. The man must have secured it somehow. She realized she was asleep and told herself to wake up, she needed to wake Regina. It didn't work, she stopped moving and commanded herself to wake up. A blue smoke exploded around her, enveloping her._

Emma jerked awake. Regina was beside her, still asleep. She shook the brunette and nothing happened. She couldn't wake her up, she'd left her there and now she couldn't get her to wake up.

"Regina! Regina, wake up!" Emma grabbed Regina's arms and yelled her name again, then it felt like she was hit by a lightning bolt and a blue glow enveloped them.

_Regina pulled at her clothes, trying to force them back to their proper place on her trembling body. Daniel was advancing on her and she forced herself to stand, despite the immense pain she was in. She had a renewed sense of self preservation, she was going to fight harder._

"_Daniel, stop." Regina's voice just seemed to fuel his anger._

_Daniel slapped her, then he grabbed her hair and threw her to the floor face first. _

_Regina scramble to get up but Daniel kicked her, then he kicked her again. Regina slumped, trying to catch her breath and abandoning escape. It was amazing what pain could take from someone, the pain took her ability to escape Daniel's wrath._

_Daniel used her weakness against her. He grabbed her arm and jerked her up only to force her against the wall and pin her there. He pulled her arm so hard she felt her shoulder give and pain blinded her._

"_Let her go!" Emma found herself back in the stall and could see the man pinning Regina to the wall. Her voice caught him off guard and he spun around, using Regina as a shield._

"_Emma-" Regina could barely speak through the pain. She was glad Emma was here, she didn't feel so alone with Emma here._

_Daniel paused, then he threw Regina to the side. He stalked towards Emma with purpose._

"_You are interrupting a reunion here girl, don't make me get rid of you. Have you any idea who I am? Regina is mine, and I always get what is mine."_

"_If I had to guess, I'd guess you are Daniel." The look on Regina's face confirmed her suspicions, and it made her sick to know the pain Regina's dreams were inflicting on her. "You are not touching her. You do not own her. You will not hurt her."_

"_What? Are you going to stop me?" Daniel was almost to her._

"_Yes!" Emma lunged and they fell to the ground in a tangled heap._

_Regina saw the metal glint, she knew Emma didn't and she yelled a second too late."Emma watch out!"_

_Emma yelled as the knife buried itself in her ribcage and stole her breath. Then the knife was jerked free and she felt it slash across her stomach. Emma gasped as Daniel stood, he was going to kill her and hurt Regina. She had to stop him. Emma forced herself up, she knew she would only get one chance and she lunged. She felt them hit the ground, Daniel groaned, the knife embedded in his chest, seconds later he stopped moving. He was dead._

_Regina looked at her, she was looking at Emma over Daniel's dead body, she was frozen in shock._

_Emma made to move towards Regina and collapsed in pain._

Emma jerked away from Regina wildly, still feeling like she'd been struck by lightning.

**_TBC_**

* * *

So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!


	11. Similar Wish

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**_STORY_**

Emma fell back onto the floor, clutching her side as the feel of the lightening faded and a stabbing pain overtook her. She knew she was bleeding even before she moved her hand to her side and felt the warm liquid coat it. Right now she wasn't too worried about it though. She needed to know what the hell had just happened, she needed to make sure what ever it was had worked. Emma crawled to the edge of the bed and used it to support her as she got to her feet. Regina wasn't awake, shit.

_Regina was frozen, Daniel's lifeless eyes were open and staring into her own. This was something she hadn't seen since her mother had ripped his heart out and killed him. It brought an onslaught of memories and pain to her mind. Emma had disappeared in a puff of blue smoke, she was gone and Regina was alone. When she'd faced Daniel here she'd been able to miss the dead look in his eyes by turning him to ash, seeing him dead hurt. Holding her shirt together with one hand she regarded the other hanging limply at her side. Her shoulder was broken, but she was pretty sure she could manage to get off the ground. In one attempt pain engulfed her, her arm hurt horribly and she sank back to her knees defeated. Regina just wanted to wake up already, she was tired of all of this. Slowly she laid her forehead against the ground and felt tears fall to the dirt below her. Regina wished she could just wake up, she wished she wasn't in pain, and she wished she hadn't seen Emma kill Daniel._

Emma tried shaking Regina, she tried slapping her, in a moment of pure desperation she even tried kissing her forehead. It had worked to save Henry once, it had been worth a shot, nothing worked. She could feel Regina's pulse pounding strongly, so at least she knew she didn't need to fear the woman in front of her dieing. Emma was sure she would never be able to forget the look Regina had given her over Daniel's dead body. It had been full of understanding, but at the same time murderous hatred. Suddenly Emma realized what Regina had been forced to endure in her life. She'd truly loved Daniel, she loved him so much she had been broken by his death. Even with the nightmare version of Daniel, it had crushed her, Emma could tell. Sickly Emma wished she hadn't had to kill the man, she wished she'd had another option. Quickly pain swamped Emma and she collapsed to the floor, unable to withstand it. Landing on the floor she let the pain take her, pulling her into an unconscious bliss.

Once more purple smoke billowed from below the bed, it flowed over Emma first. Emma inhaled it and exhaled it, tinting it ever so slightly blue before it could reach Regina's still sleeping form. Their similar wishes forcing a change, their combined magic causing twisted results.

_Regina felt the atmosphere change around her. The air began to swirl, the nightmare in front of her began to tremble and then Emma was laying on the floor in front of her. She was confused at Emma's appearance. She winced as she could just make out the blood on the blonde's shirt, seeing the wounds up close compared to across the room._

_Emma opened her eyes to find Regina at her side. The brunette wasn't looking at her face she was looking at her side and inwardly Emma cursed, she didn't want Regina worrying about her._

"_Regina. I couldn't wake you, what the hell is going on?" Emma heard a shuffle behind her._

"_It appears the nightmare isn't done with us yet." Regina stared gaping at the scene unfolding behind the blonde. She couldn't believe what was happening, and her face must have warned Emma._

_Emma realized she needed to look behind her, knowing it couldn't be good by Regina's face. Turning she became witness to Daniel standing up, well sort of Daniel. Not only was this still Regina's nightmare, already altering the man who'd once been the brunette's fiance, but now he looked more zombie than human. Daniel's eyes were completely glassy, he wasn't alive anymore. He looked slightly pale, a total contrast to the bright red blood coating his chest where the knife still protruded._

_Regina felt terror wash over her, this was never going to end. She noticed Emma position herself even more in front of Regina, like she was shielding her from the monster they were watching. She couldn't even partially call what she was seeing Daniel, it wasn't him, it was a twisted horrible Daniel shaped monster. A monster the stubborn Emma Swan was seriously going to try to protect her from, she couldn't believe the woman. She knew Emma didn't care about her, she knew Emma was only trying to save her For Henry's sake. No one ever simply wanted to help her, they always had motives. Everyone in her life just used her to further their needs, her mother, Rumple, Leopold. She cringed at her late husbands name, she wasn't going to let Emma die helping her for Henry's sake, then her son would have nothing. Henry would think she'd killed Emma and he'd never let her see him, and Snow and Charming would kill her for sure. She used the hand holding her shirt closed to touch Emma's back._

"_Emma, don't. You need to leave, just wake yourself up. Don't do this-" Regina trailed off into silence. Regaining her voice as Emma looked back at her she finished in a whisper, "Don't do this for Henry, don't risk yourself. Henry needs you." Regina looked down, accepting the fact she'd just handed Henry to Emma on a silver platter. He didn't want her anyway. She felt a tear slide down her face and waited for Emma to run, or disappear. She knew the blonde would go now, she'd been let of the hook, it's not like Emma cared what happened to her anyway._

_Emma looked at Regina, puzzled by her words. Years of foster homes with screwed up families and lost kids allowed her to read Regina's features like an open book. The damn bull headed woman really thought she didn't want to protect her. Regina thought she was only doing this for Henry, the woman was fucking infuriating sometimes._

"_Regina, I'm not leaving you here. I meant what I said to him earlier, I will not let him lay a hand on you again." Emma watched as Regina looked up, a moment of shock on her face quickly hidden by her ever present mask._

_Regina actually had a moment of hope, then she steeled it away. She couldn't allow Emma to see it, Emma was the savior of course she wasn't going to leave. Regina couldn't let herself think the blonde was staying for her, it would just hurt more when she proved she didn't care._

"_Then we should run, you can't fight what you can't kill..." Regina trailed off as she stared behind Emma, her face of shock back._

_Emma spun around quickly, expecting an attack. What she saw caused her stomach to drop to her feet. Oh fuck._

_The resurrected, zombie Daniel was looking down at the knife in his chest. He looked mildly amused almost, a sinister grin painted on his face. Slowly his hand came up, he gripped the knife and pulled it out of his chest. He brought the blade to his face, smelling the blood like it was a rose before looking at the two with a menacing look. A second later he smiled again. Zombie Daniel licked the blood off of the blade and began to come towards them slowly._

**_TBC_**

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So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!


	12. Price Of Knowing You

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**_STORY_**

_Emma looked back at Regina, keeping the almost zombie-like Daniel in her peripheral vision. What she saw scared her more than watching the blood being licked off of the knife zombie-Daniel held. Regina was white as a sheet, all the color had drained from her face and she was frozen staring at the monster in front of them. A sort of gagging cough drew her full attention back to the man, well kind of, in front of her. He was trying to clear his throat to speak, Emma was sure she'd never be able to watch a zombie movie again. Finally he stopped advancing, he was about 6 feet from them, and he found his voice._

"_I guess- you will both be mine. Regina, her pain is your fault." Zombie-Daniel shook his head violently, and when he looked up again his eyes shown with life, the glassy glaze completely gone. Then he moved, and he was fast. Before either woman could react Daniel had grabbed Emma, pinned her to his chest in a choke-hold, and had the knife to her throat._

_Emma was looking right at Regina now, and she could feel the sharp blade on her throat. The bastard had caught her off guard, she hadn't expected a semi-zombie man to be so fast. Regina was looking on, staring at Daniel. Emma could practically see the internal battle of the woman's emotions. Shock, rage, and terror battled for control, and Emma saw the moment terror won. Regina's face melted into a look of fear and she began to beg._

"_Please Daniel, you aren't this monster. Let her go, she has nothing to do with any of this. You aren't this kind of person, you weren't this kind of person. Remember who you were Daniel. Let her go," Regina managed to struggle to her feet, "you aren't a killer."_

_Regina was so confused, her emotions were swamping her mind at this point and she couldn't tell up from down. She felt burnt-out, broken, and utterly lost. She'd wished for the nightmare to end differently, she'd wished she hadn't seen Emma kill a version of Daniel. She hadn't wished to see Daniel kill Emma though, now she almost wanted the old nightmares ending back. She didn't want to be here alone with this monster, but she also didn't want Emma trapped here because of her either. Regina felt like her terror was never going to end._

_Daniel moved the blade to Emma's shirt, the nightshirt Regina had loaned her, a silk button-down nightshirt. _

_It was odd to see Emma in the clothes, in all Regina's nightmares she'd never been wearing what she had been in reality. The small detail scared her, Regina didn't like Emma so attached to reality, it made her seem fragile._

_Daniel began to cut the buttons off of the shirt as he looked at Regina. As the first button fell to the floor he held the look, his eyes never leaving hers he began to speak._

_Emma shut her eyes, she was stuck in his grasp, the blood loss on her side was weakening her. When he began speaking she forced them open. Emma forced herself to get Regina's attention, it wasn't working, Daniel's words were overriding her efforts._

"_Regina, do you ever not get people hurt or killed? This is your fault." Another button fell from Emma's shirt. "Everyone who gets close to you-" Another button fell to the floor. "Everyone around you gets hurt, gets killed. Hell, they die for you! Is knowing you so great? Come now Regina, tell me. Is knowing you worth her life, because if it is I must have missed out on something." Daniel stopped the progression on the buttons and looked at Emma sideways. "Tell me girl, is knowing this bitch worth the pain you're going to endure? Is she worth it?"_

_Emma opened her mouth to answer and the blade moved to her neck again._

"_I do not want an answer." Daniel moved the knife away when he was satisfied she wasn't going to speak and popped the last button off of the shirt. "You are no good to anyone Regina, its why you are still alone. People should meet you then turn and run as fast and as far as they can." Daniel opened Emma's shirt and showed the knife wounds to Regina._

_Emma was watching Regina throughout the entire situation. She had never seen someone so defeated, Regina was practically agreeing with this monster. The brunettes head was bowed and she was looking up through her eyelashes, tears rolling down her cheeks. Never in a million years would Emma have thought she'd ever see Regina like this. Not the spit-fire mayor who'd knocked her on her ass in a graveyard, and not after seeing the woman who had been the Evil Queen take on an angry mob at her home. This was utter destruction, and Emma wanted to kill this prick more and more with every word he spoke. Emma swore she could see Regina breaking into tinier pieces with each one of his words, and he just kept going._

"_This is what knowing you does to people. Enough games Regina, I'm going to finish this girl off and then we can resume our game." Daniel moved the blade up to Emma's neck and readied himself to finish her off. "Look up Regina, I want you to watch me kill her. I want you to watch, then I want you to be thankful you son was smart enough to get away from you."_

_Emma saw it, she saw pure hatred in Regina's eyes. Regina looked up at the mention of Henry, it had been the wrong thing for him to say. The mention of Henry had pushed her over the edge._

_Regina heard him mention Henry and something inside her snapped. She had to help Emma, it would destroy Henry to lose the blonde. Then she would have no one. Regina saw the muscle in Daniels arm twitch and she lifted her good arm, freezing him before he could move it. Like the day in the Storybrooke stables she paused for just a moment, then with a wave of her hand Daniel disappeared into dust and she collapsed to the ground in heart breaking sobs. She'd killed him, again._

_Emma felt the grip on her disappear as Regina waved her arm across the air, then nothing but dust surrounded her. It floated to the floor around her in a graceful contrast to the way Regina collapsed. The sounds coming from the brunette broke her heart. She moved, trying to get to the woman falling apart in front of her. Emma couldn't make it before the nightmare faded away to darkness and she felt like she was falling._

**_TBC_**

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So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!


	13. I Can't

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

**_A/N I know, I know, this nightmare is finally done... Time for a new one maybe ;) Hmm what's next? I just wanted to say I know it seems like Regina is really out of character but if you try to imagine the mindset it works... She's been up for almost two weeks straight and she hasn't been following healthy eating or living habits, by this point she's to tired to control her emotions or think straight. She is also having all of her worst fears about herself literally pounded into her head as being true. Even though she knows better it is her trigger and we all know there is something that can upset us no matter how un-true we know it is or how strong we are. Hope you all understand where I was trying to sink her too, I know from experience a lack of sleep can alter your personality a lot, but fear not I am bringing back our lovely Regina very soon... ;)_**

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**_STORY_**

Emma groggily opened her eyes, fighting her body to wake up. She needed to check on Regina, she needed to make sure the woman was awake. Suddenly her body responded to her commands and she sat up to look at an empty bed.

"Regina!" Emma looked around the room frantically, she was about to panic until she heard something in the bathroom. Someone was throwing up, Emma headed to the bathroom at a fast pace and sighed when she saw Regina. Regina was leaning away from the toilet, she looked horrible. Emma wasn't exactly sure what Regina had done, but she knew it was magic. She also knew it had effectively ended the Daniel look alike and though she was grateful, it effectively meant Regina had had to choose between Emma and her true love. "Regina-" Emma didn't know what to say, thank you didn't cut it. At her words Regina jerked and looked up, the brunette hadn't even noticed her enter the bathroom.

"I had to- he was going to kill you. It was just like when he was going to kill me, I had to do it then and I had to do it now. It was the same, I had to- I can't, god I can't do this anymore. I can't do it!" Regina scrambled to her feet and shoved her way past Emma into her bedroom. She needed to leave, she need to forget, she needed the nightmares to stop. Regina decided then and there she was going away, she was going over the border of this town right now.

Emma followed Regina into her room more than a little confused. "What do you mean again? Regina- Regina what are you doing?" Emma saw Regina grab her keys from the dresser and head for the bedroom door. She positioned herself in front of it a second before Regina reached it.

"I can't do it anymore, get out of my way Swan." Regina stopped right in front of Emma and waited.

"Where are you going to go?" Emma put a hand to her side as a dull throbbing drew her attention, of course the knife wounds were bleeding. Emma could feel the warm liquid but she didn't have time to worry about that now.

"The border of this forsaken town, then wherever I want to. Out of my way Swan." Regina reached forward and tried to push past Emma but lack of proper rest had left her weak and Emma was able to move her back. "I'm going to cross it and go where ever what memory I am left with takes me."

Emma refused to move as Regina tried to leave again. She couldn't let Regina out of this house. She could feel the blood becoming worse at her side and forced the wounds from her mind. Regina was more important than her issues at the moment. Emma saw her opportunity when Regina moved to try to leave a third time. The brunette had the keys to her car dangling from her hand and Emma snatched them from her.

"Give them back Swan." Regina snatched for the keys but Emma kept them out of her reach.

"You can't just leave." Emma had a death grip on the keys in her bloody hand, she wasn't going to let them go without a fight.

"Watch me Miss Swan." No one here will miss me, no one here will care if I am no longer a resident in this little town. I can't live with this, I cannot allow the meager amount of good memories I hold dear to be polluted by these nightmares. I refuse to stand by idly and allow the only pieces of happiness in my life to be taken away!" Regina caught Emma off guard and snatched the keys from her hand before muscling past the blonde. Regina was halfway down the stairs before she heard Emma move, good she'd managed to best the idiot. She didn't even notice the blood on her keys.

Emma somehow caught Regina's arm at the bottom of the stairs and slung her way from the front door, gripping it tightly. They were only a few feet from the door and Emma knew if Regina got out it the fight was won, she'd never be able to stop the woman in the condition she was in. Hell she was already winded, the stab wound was making it harder to breathe. "Don't do this Regina."

Regina jerked her arm loose and waved it through the air. Instantly Emma was knocked backwards a few feet closer to the door and Regina advanced.

The force hadn't been much more than a shove would produce but with the shape of her side Emma found herself once again on the floor, on her ass.

"You forget I am The Evil Queen, I have magic you simply cannot match my dear. The residents of Storybrooke don't fear me because of my attitude, I am their arch-enemy for good reason, I don't care what others want. I don't care what you want Emma. I am going and you cannot stop me." Regina had slipped up, she was trying to stay tough. She had used Emma's name and now her resolve to leave was dissipating as she remembered how the blonde had gone out of her way to help her today. She wanted nothing more than to believe Emma could pull her White Knight routine and help her. She knew better though, better to leave on her terms. She had to leave before she fell apart, she could feel herself beginning to lose control. She got past Emma's body, still seated on the floor. Regina felt the wood of her front door in her hand, as promised it was slightly ajar from being kicked in. It didn't matter now, she was feet from freedom and she was taking it. Emma's words stopped her dead in her tracks, all the things she'd just heard in her nightmare replaying in her mind like a sickening recording.

"How about Henry? How dare you hurt him like this, does he mean so little to you?" Emma didn't mean a word of what she was saying. She was out of other options, she knew Regina loved Henry with every fiber of her being. Emma knew the words would stop the woman from walking out the kicked in front door.

Regina spun on her heel, the image of rage. "HOW DARE YOU!" Regina walked to stand right beside Emma who was getting up from the floor. "I LOVE HENRY!"

"Could have fooled me Madame Mayor, running away from everyone and running away from him over a little nightmare." Emma hated doing this to Regina but she needed to keep her in this house and if anger was going to do it she'd make Regina angry. She'd succeeded, Regina's palm connected with the side of her face exceptionally hard and blood filled her mouth. To her credit, and against her sides wishes Emma stayed on her feet.

"How dare you, you have no idea-" Regina's voice was barely a whisper and it trailed off as tears of fury streamed down her face. "I love Henry, I love him more than anything in this shitty little world you call home." Regina felt her entire body shaking, her adrenaline was waning and she felt empty, she had no fight left to give to the blond.

"Good, because Henry loves you. He may pull the Evil Queen gig around you, act like he doesn't care, but he loves you. He's constantly annoying me about how you are doing, like it or not Regina the kid is your son and he loves you. He's not the only one." Emma felt heat flare up in her cheeks as it dawned on her what she'd just said, she noticed Regina hadn't caught it and continued. "He isn't the only person who gives a damn. I give a damn. I am not going to let you destroy yourself without at least trying to fight these nightmares first." Emma saw Regina look up from the floor at her, she needed to make Regina want to stay or she'd never be able to help her. "Look I'll make you a deal, give me a chance to help you, give it time to get better." Emma reached out and took Regina's hands into her own, getting blood on them. "Give it a good fight, then if you still want to walk across the town border I will drive you there myself. But, only after you've explained what you are doing and why you are doing it to Henry, and have said a proper goodbye. I will not let you hurt him. Deal?"

Regina looked back to the floor as she considered the deal. Her conviction to leave was as gone as her anger. Regina knew she would never be able to speak to Henry about leaving then follow through with it, Emma was smarter than she gave her credit for.

"Fine, I-" It was then Regina saw the blood coating her hands and looked quickly at Emma's side. Of course, she was so stupid. Emma's borrowed shirt was torn open, all the buttons missing, and she had two vicious looking knife wounds on her side. Sadly she realized she'd pulled Emma into the mess she currently found herself in. She was the reason Emma was hurt. Regina really did get anyone who got too close to her hurt. She was a horrible person.

Emma noticed Regina examining her side and tried to draw the older woman's attention away from her wounds. "Regina-"

"No, you are hurt because of me. Its my fault- I caused this, all you were doing was trying to help me." The words felt like a knife to her chest, someone had actually tried to help her. No one ever tried to help her, yet here Emma was for the third or fourth time risking her life to help her. Regina didn't like to be the victim, she didn't like the feeling. "I just- I don't know what to do anymore. I'm so confused by all of this. I mean you are helping me, no one helps me. No one ever cares, I have always been on my own." Regina felt Emma's hands tighten on her own.

"Do you want to know my answer to that monster's question Regina?" Emma knew Regina knew which question she was referring to. It was the question he hadn't allowed her to answer, it was a question she hadn't had the answer to until just now. "The answer is yes, yes you are worth the pain. Yes you are worth the effort. I care Regina, you are not alone anymore. I'm like gray hair woman, once I'm with you I'm there for life, so you'd better just toughen up and deal with it."

**_TBC_**

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So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!


	14. You Don't Need To Lie

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**_STORY_**

"Stop." Regina looked up at Emma and smiled softly as the blondes words were absorbed into her mind.

Emma thought she had finally gotten through to Regina and squeezed her hands. Emma was frustrated when Regina spoke again, damn this woman.

"You don't need to lie to get me to stay, you've proven your point. You don't need to pretend like you care what happens to me Miss Swan. I respect you trying, and I respect you doing this for Henry, but don't insult my intelligence by lying to me. We are both adults, we both know the truth." Regina crushed the hope she'd allowed to grow with Emma's last statements, her heart wanted it to be true. Her heart wanted to think someone finally cared about her, but years of false hope and years of being proved wrong squashed the thought. Her mind took over and she rationalized the situation, what Emma was doing was no more than a strategic business move, and a brilliant one at that. Regina couldn't allow herself to even pretend Emma was being truthful, it would hurt too much when she finally proved she didn't.

Emma watched the woman in front of her fight her own little battle with herself with a slack jawed look on her face. She couldn't understand what she had to do to prove to Regina she wasn't lying to her. Sadly she considered what kind of a life had made the woman so damn cynical and non trusting. Emma shivered at the thought, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. She needed to show the woman she meant business. Emma knew she'd used magic to get in and out or Regina's nightmare, she didn't know how she'd done it, but she had. Now she needed to do it again. She could still feel the buzz of the magic coursing through her body like some sore of electrical charge. She felt like she was the energizer bunny from all those crappy commercials she remembered seeing as a kid. She had no idea how to use the magic in her, or what she could do with it, if she could even use it at all. She wanted to try to take Regina's pain away, she wanted to prove she meant what she was saying beyond a shadow of a doubt. Emma was more than a little confused with her feelings towards the former Evil Queen herself at this point, but she was positive she cared what happened to the brunette.

"Regina, seriously, I care- I really do." To hell with it she was just going to wing it and hope for the best. Price of magic be damned, Emma gripped Regina's hands tighter as she spoke, trying to convey the message through sheer force of will.

Regina looked into Emma's eyes, they were full of truth but she couldn't let herself fall for it. Her mother used to do the same things to her as a child and as a teenager. Her mother would lure her in with lies and false claims. Regina remembered she'd always resist, would know the trap she was being pulled into. Yet like always, and after enough persistence on her mother's end she would fold. Regina would go to her mother, get within a foot of her and be knocked to her ass by a fist, or a magical spell. Then her mother would tell her love was a weakness and walk away. Over fifteen years of conditioning kept her wall in place as Emma tried to convince her otherwise. She refused to be hurt again because of her own stupidity.

"I appreciate the sentiment, and the commitment you have to your story Miss Swan, I do. I know better though, I am simply too tired to argue so you win."

"DAMN YOU WOMAN, YOU ARE SO HARD-HEADED!" Emma took a breath, Emma felt like she was going to explode as her frustration boiled over. "I care, I swear on everything I have I care what happens to you! I will not stand by and let you get hurt. I am not going to leave your frustrating, annoyingly irritating-" Emma was practically ranting as she felt the charge build up in her hands, "-aggravatingly sexy, exasperating ass alone to handle all of this!" By the time she took a breath Regina was simply staring at her like she was crazy, Regina made a move like she was going to speak and Emma beat her to it. "No I'm not through yet woman, keep your mouth shut, for once let someone else run the conversation. My name is Emma- Regina, not Swan, and sure as hell not Miss Swan. Use it! Do you see me running away from you? No you don't. If I could help you I would, If I could take every ounce of pain from you to prove I mean- aggghhhhhhh!" Emma's body exploded in agony, her grip on Regina's hands tightened to a vice like grip. Emma saw a look of panic on the older woman's face and a pained wince cross her features. Shit, she was hurting her. Emma tried to let Regina go but she couldn't, her body wasn't responding to her commands. The world started spinning in her vision, up became down, down became up. Left and right spun around her like she was on a carnival ride, she felt sick, and she gasped trying to get fresh air. As she gasped it felt like every last bit of energy was pulled from her body. With a last wave of pain Emma felt her eyes roll back into her skull and felt her body go limp as unconsciousness drowned her in its presence. The last thing she saw was a look of terror on Regina's face.

**_TBC_**

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So, Thoughts? Reviews? Hate it? Love it? Let me know y'all!


	15. Worry

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**_STORY_**

Regina had felt the tingling coming from Emma's hands a second to late to stop her, not like she could have stopped the blonde based on her rant. The stubborn woman probably had no idea what she was feeling was magic. She sure as hell had no idea what she was doing. A warm sensation had engulfed Regina exactly as the look of agony had blasted its way onto Emma's features. Then the blondes grip tightened on her own and she felt a finger break, wincing in response. She felt terror and panic swamp her, she had to get Emma to let go. She had no idea what spell was being performed, but she knew it was magic. She also knew Emma was losing her control of it as she saw the blonde begin to look ill. Shit. She yelled Emma's name, the blonde didn't even register hearing it. Regina felt Emma force her hands open a second before her eyes rolled to the back of her skull and she collapsed into Regina's arms. Regina had just managed to catch her at all, the sight before her was terrifying. Emma was white as a sheet and quickly Regina felt for a pulse in panic. Relief flooded her as she felt a strong pulse in Emma's neck, at least the stupid woman wasn't dead. The pulse kept its strong pulse, it was erratic, but it was strong.

"EMMA! EMMA!" Regina slapped Emma, nothing happened. Regina pinched Emma, still nothing. Regina felt overcome with a sense of loss, she was going to lose the only person in the town who cared about her because of her trust issues. Along with the warm sensation from what ever spell Emma had been attempting to perform Emma had opened her mind to Regina. It had only been a glimpse but it had been all Regina needed to realize Emma wasn't lying to her, she'd seen the truth. Now she was going to lose her. She had no idea what was wrong, for all she knew Emma could have forced herself into a sleeping curse trying to accomplish whatever she had been trying to do. The entire town would be after her blood, and Regina would give it to them. This was her fault. She paused for a second and considered her options, she could try a kiss. She wasn't Emma's true love but hell maybe caring would be enough? "Damn-it Emma, Damn You for this!" Regina rubbed her face with her hands and growled in frustration before she leaned down. Regina pressed her lips to Emma's and heat flooded her body, she held it for a second before backing away and looking at Emma expectantly. She was more than a little confused by the heat she'd experienced. Nothing happened, "DAMN YOU EMMA!" Regina put her hands on her face just as Emma's voice responded.

"Language- Regina, jeeze." Emma could barely speak she hurt so bad, but the sound of Regina cursing was to priceless to let go by.

"Emma?" Regina dropped her hands to her lap in shock, what the hell. "What happ-"

"I don't know what happened, I just passed out and then all of a sudden something told me to wake up. So, I guess-" Emma panted at the exertion of talking then continued, "-I did." Emma looked up at Regina, "Did you do anything to wake me up?"

Regina deadpanned, her face void of any emotion. Oh shit. "No, no nothing at all, you just woke up."

"Are you sure Regina?" Emma could tell Regina was lying to her.

"Positive, are you O.K.?" Regina was truly concerned.

"Yeah, guess I'm- good." Emma felt like shit, but she wasn't going to say it. As Regina's face turned to one of annoyed anger she almost wondered if she should have.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU IDIOT!" Regina only paused a second before she continued.

"Calm down, I-" Emma got cut off.

"Rhetorical question Emma." Regina cut her off and continued without pause.

Emma realized Regina had been worried about her. Emma also realized Regina was full of piss and vinegar at the moment. It was nice to see Regina back to her good old self again. She realized Regina had no idea what happened. The brunette looked positively vibrant with life, and she didn't have a bruise or scratch on her. Emma however, felt pain everywhere. Her head, her ribs, her arms, and her neck were awash with it. She was also exhausted, totally, utterly drained. Emma felt like she hadn't slept in a year. Nope Regina hadn't notice a thing, her anger at Emma's stupidity was taking the lead for now. Emma couldn't help but watch Regina lecture and rant as she smiled.

**_TBC_**

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	16. You Idiot

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

Sorry it's short :)

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**_STORY_**

"You could have killed yourself!" Regina was furious. "You use magic, excuse me butcher an attempt to use magic, when you have no idea what you are doing! You know magic comes with a price! You didn't have the faintest idea what was going to happen or what the consequences would be! What the hell were you thinking, you idiot?! All of this for what? What exactly did you accomplish!? No, no, better yet what the hell were you trying to do!? Was the spell to knock you on your ass? You are just as bad as the two idiots you have for parents- Oh what are you smiling at?!" Regina was out of breath now, and Emma's annoying grin was really irking the crap out of her.

"I did- magic." Emma had to assume the side of Regina she was seeing was the 'mom mode', as Henry would call it, of the woman. Emma had never been mothered as a kid, but she was pretty sure she was being scolded, and she didn't give a damn. She, Emma Swan, had performed successful magic. Sort of.

"Yes, congratulations dear, you managed to knock yourself unconscious. Nice spell, really, great job." Regina's worry and temper were dissipating with every second Emma didn't die on her floor, her adrenaline was just about to release its hold.

"I did what I intended to do." Emma saw the snide remark forming on Regina's lips and nipped it in the bud, "No, it wasn't pass out Regina.

"What exactly do you think you did then? Enlighten me Dear." Regina was prepared with a comeback for just about any answer Emma was going to give her. When Emma answered her with a question she didn't have a comment prepared.

"Tell me- Regina, how do you -feel." Emma was just managing to catch her breath, and she could tell Regina still hadn't noticed what had happened.

"I feel fantastic what does-" Regina froze, it was like a little light switch clicked on in her head and she felt stupid.

Emma watched in amusement as Regina looked herself over. Watched as the older woman realized all her pain and all of her wounds were gone. Watched as Regina realized she wasn't tired for the first time in two weeks, and Emma couldn't contain her smile.

Regina felt like a new person. She was energized, and nothing ached or hurt. Her headache was gone from missing meals and finally after two weeks of pure agony she was free. Emma had managed to heal her in a matter of seconds. "How did you do that?"

"I haven't the slightest idea, I just wanted to make you understand I cared about you, make you understand I wasn't lying to you. I thought if I could just take your pain maybe you'd believe me, I-" Emma was interrupted by Regina.

"Wait, take my pain? You wanted to take my pain?" Regina's eyes roamed over Emma's body and winced as she did so. "Damn you, you stupid, infuriating idiot."

**_TBC_**

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	17. I Hate Pity

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**_STORY_**

Regina shook her head as she now looked at all of her previous injuries. Every last one of them was painted with brutal ink on Emma's skin.

"O.K., so maybe I might need to be more specific in the future." Emma winced as she moved wrong. "In my defense I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing and you were aggravating the hell out of me." Sitting all the way up, despite her loudly protesting ribs, brought Emma face to face with Regina.

"Exactly! You had no business trying to dabble in any magic." Regina stood up and helped Emma struggle into a standing position as she continued to glare at the infuriating blonde.

Emma regarded the blood stain that was now tattooed on Regina's floor and sighed. "Sorry about the blood." Emma really did like Regina's house, she didn't want to bleed all over it.

"Its fine, come on, lets get you upstairs. It seems its my turn to play doctor Miss Swan." Regina didn't make it a foot before she heard Emma snort and try to cover a small chuckle. "What?"

Emma looked at Regina and remembered the sophisticated woman had grown up in a different world, the term 'play doctor' didn't raise any odd thoughts in her head. Emma however could remember walking in on more than a few 'doctor' games back in her group homes as a kid and she couldn't help but remember. She looked at Regina for a few more seconds and just chuckled out loud before shaking her head. "Regina, one its still Emma. Two its nothing, just- don't use, never mind. We will talk about it later, I'll explain, I promise."

Regina searched the blondes features, expecting to see some sinister plan evolve, or a hidden agenda arise in them. Nothing. The smile was in Emma's eyes and there was no sign of it being directed at her. Regina found herself still waiting for something to go wrong, no one was nice to her without a cost. She just nodded and grabbed Emma's arm to help her walk. "Fine, lets go Miss Sw- Emma."

By the time Emma got to Regina's bathroom she was spent. She felt horrible, and extremely proud. Horrible, because she could hardly breathe, and she felt like she was going to fall asleep while moving. Proud, because it instantly hit her Regina had been living with this for over two weeks without so much as a complaint to anyone. "So this is how you've been feeling?"

Regina felt her face flush red, she found herself looking away from Emma before speaking. "It is probably intensified on you dear. Magic has a tendency to amply- feelings of any kind."

"Bullshit, why didn't you say anything?" Emma was sincere, she meant it. She would have at least tried to help her, Regina should have said something. Emma was to damn tired to be aggravated, but she wanted to be.

Regina kept her eyes averted as she helped Emma sit on the closed toilet seat. She wouldn't have told the blonde if it would have stopped the nightmares completely, it would have made her weak. Now Emma knew, and she was staying to help. Maybe she'd underestimated the blondes character a bit- no she couldn't trust her. Keep it simple Regina, she will hurt you. Everyone always uses you, ride it out, play nice, she'll show her true motive soon. Even as she argued with herself she wanted to believe in Emma, believe finally it was her chance for someone to be in her corner.

"Regina-" Emma could tell Regina heard her, but after watching the woman argue with herself for a few minutes she pulled her back to the present. The woman was driving her crazy, she wished she could just see what was going on in the brunettes head and help her.

"What exactly would you have done my dear? Hold me, let me cry? Pat my back and tell me everything would be fine? We weren't exactly friends, all I'd have gotten was pity. I hate pity." Regina felt very exposed, she was looking directly into Emma's eyes. She was raw and bare, she'd opened herself up for so many hurtful comebacks she wanted to slap herself, she hadn't meant to be so honest. In truth it had just slipped out. So now she waited, waited for Emma to slam a hurtful comeback into her face and storm out of her home. Ready to be left to reenter her tortured world of nightmares and pain, ready for another person to prove her right and decide she wasn't worth the effort. Truth was, she'd done all of those things. Emma had held her, she had cried. Emma had patted her back and told her she'd help her, everything would be fine. She had cried, she had cried like a baby on the blondes damn shoulder. She deserved whatever Emma decided to throw back at her, she was prepared for anything. Well, almost anything.

"You are right, we weren't friends. I guess its my fault we aren't. Regina I haven't exactly treated you very well." Emma could see the shock simply coat Regina's face.

"I-" Regina found herself speechless. What the hell was this woman's game, she actually seemed to care. "I could have been more welcoming as well." It was stupid, but it was all she could make come out of her mouth.

"True, you were a little hostile." Emma smiled at the brunette, watching as Regina moved to help Emma out of her shirt so she could see the knife wounds clearly. Emma could tell the woman was a little flustered, and she saw her moving too fast in her small moment of nervousness. She knew what was going to happen and just gritted her teeth, she was afraid to stop Regina and spook her.

"I was not hostile Emma you were infuriating, and you still are." Regina wanted to grasp the fabric of the shirt and peel it from the wound, but she missed. She had been so determined to push away her nervousness she'd over shot her target and collided with the wound itself. She heard Emma hiss in pain and draw away from her hand quickly. Regina froze, shit. She hadn't meant to bump the wound, Emma was going to think she'd done it on purpose.

"Easy, easy, I forfeit, you win. You weren't hostile at all, no need to get physical woman. Emma smiled lightly, but she could tell Regina didn't see it. The bump had hurt, sure, but she knew it was an accident she wasn't angry.

"Sorry- I didn't-" Regina wanted to hit herself, she knew the pain of broken ribs, and she knew the pain of knife wounds. Emma had both and here she was practically jabbing her in the side. She hadn't meant to hurt the blonde.

"Relax, look at me." Emma waited until Regina forced herself to look up, then she continued. "I knew it was going to happen, I saw you moving. I didn't want to spook you. It was an accident Regina, no sweat. I'm good, I was just kidding. Now lets get me fixed up, I don't want you pitying me over my boo-boos." Emma made sure Regina was making eye contact with her when she said the last line and she winked at the brunette.

Regina sighed and shook her head. "Yes, we wouldn't want me to pity you. Not sure if you know this but, I hate pity." Regina smiled, Emma had used her own words against her. She had done exactly what she hadn't wanted Emma to do to her.

"You know, I think I have heard you say something along those lines before. Good to know we are on the same page. Now, hop to it. I'm bleeding here."

**_TBC_**

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	18. Trust

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**_STORY_**

"You know, you sure do ruin a lot of clothing dear." Regina was trying to lighten the mood slightly, she was out of her element and it was the only thing making this situation somewhat normal. "I am almost afraid to loan you anything else for fear it too will meet its demise on you."

"Well Mayor, there's another way to look at it."

"Which is?" Regina wasn't sure what Emma could mean.

"You sure do cause people to get undressed quite a lot." Emma grinned as the look of shock grew on Regina's face and decided to push her luck. Regina wasn't going to win this little joke. "You could always leave me without, and I could walk around topless? Your Call."

Regina looked at Emma's body unconsciously as the blonde spoke, the woman was fit. Muscle covered her, and she carried it well. Regina heard Emma say her name and she looked up. Shit, she'd gotten distracted. "Excuse me?"

"Were you going to answer me?" Emma blushed, Regina had been eying her like a particularly tasty apple. Emma had started this, and yet here she sat, blushing like a school girl.

"What was the question?" Regina coughed, uncomfortable as she realized she'd been caught staring.

"Hmm, never mind. You answered my question." Emma smiled at Regina, her blush fading and seemingly moving to Regina's cheeks. She didn't know what to blame this moment on. She had no idea what it would become but she didn't want to worry about it just yet. "So, which wound first?"

Regina let the topic go back to the problems at hand with relief. No doubt the moment they'd just had would rear its head in the future, but she was more than happy to let it go for now. "Your side. It looks bad, you might need stitches. Emma we should really get you to the hospital."

"You cant just patch it up?" Emma didn't like hospitals, and she was afraid of what questions might arise if Regina brought her in in this condition. A lot of the townspeople still didn't trust Regina, they would jump to conclusions.

"I've stitched my fair share of wounds, but this is deep. I could no doubt close the wound safely, I've done so on myself before. What worries me is internal. I have no way of knowing if you have any damage internally. If you did and I stitched you up, it could be bad. Why not just let me take you to the hospital?" Regina didn't know why Emma didn't want to just go.

"You don't worry you would be blamed for this? Come on Regina, we both know the moment you walk in with me like this you will be the target of a very large mob. I also don't like hospitals. Can't you just," Emma waved her hand across her torso, "check?"

Regina realized Emma was right, everyone would blame her for Emma's condition. Yet Emma's suggestion stunned her. She felt the color drain from her face as she paled. "Emma-"

"Can't you? Isn't it just like taking a heart? You stick your hand in and feel around, you just don't take anything out?" Emma wasn't actually sure if it could be done, but it was Regina after all. If it could be done she could do it.

"You-" Regina knew she could do it, she'd done so on herself before just like the stitching she'd mentioned to Emma. She just couldn't believe what Emma was asking her to do. "You trust me to do that?"

"I trust you."

"It might hurt, I don't know if it will." Regina could feel her hands twitching, she was very nervous.

"More than I already do?" Emma eyed her skeptically, she could tell Regina was stalling.

Regina sighed, she knew the answer was no. Regina placed a hand on Emma's shoulder, and laid her other hand over the still bleeding wound. Her palm met the sticky flesh and Emma hissed. Without a word Regina looked into Emma's eyes, the question didn't need to be spoken.

"Positive."

Regina nodded and pressed, easing her hand into Emma's side.

**_TBC_**

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	19. Healing & A Scar

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

SO SORRY GUYS! My muse took a vacation and then I ran out of time to type the chapter I'd already had written :)

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**_STORY_**

Emma felt Regina's palm pass through her heated flesh like it was nothing more than smoke in Regina's way. Instantly a coolness washed over her side and she sighed in comfort, the coolness dulled the pain of the wound considerably.

"Good, I thought I could try to help with the pain but I wasn't sure if it would work." Regina didn't know to many so called 'good' spells. Sometimes with magic all you had to do was want something, then let yourself have it. Luckily this time it worked perfectly. Regina still felt super-charged, the idiot blonde had overcharged her so to speak. With a sense of sadness she wished she knew healing magic, but it had never interested her before. She had managed to figure out how to temporarily numb pain, and even slightly speed up healing when snow had been little. Before her hatred had consumed her she had done small things in the way of healing but had never dared to learn more for the fear of injuring Snow, or herself. Then when her hatred had taken over she gave the idea no more thought, if she had to live through pain so did everyone else. She vaguely remembered her mother never using healing magic. Cora's words still rang loud and clear in her head from the day she'd earned the scar on her upper lip. Regina shuddered at the memory.

Emma smiled at Regina, soon after Regina looked lost in thought. Emma had wanted to respond to Regina's words but she was to exhausted. To exhausted and the cooling sensation Regina was causing was like heaven on earth at the moment. She noticed Regina was lost in thought and she felt her hands begin to warm. Emma focused on Regina's face, she looked troubled. Then Regina winced violently.

Regina was just about to look back down at Emma when the memory took hold of her and pulled her into it, Cora's words ringing in her ears.

_'Regina! You foolish little brat. You will not speak to me like that.' _

_Regina remembered a cracking sound, like a whip, moments before her horse kicked out viciously. His back hooves made contact with her, she was thrown to the floor by the force. She felt her body explode with pain, her mouth filled with blood and her ribs were definitely broken. _

_'I told you not to worry about this damned beast and to come in for tea.' _

_Regina cried, she felt the pain like it was a present injury yet inside she felt like her eight year old self, scared and confused by her mother. She begged her mother to make her pain stop. Begged as hard as she could._

_'If one is foolish enough to earn the injury, they can suffer the pain. It will build your character dear, and perhaps you do not miss tea time again Regina. Get yourself off the floor.'_

_Regina had wanted to hurt her mother so badly at that moment, she'd even tried to think about healing herself, she knew her mother had magic and at the time she'd thought she'd inherit it. She didn't know what it had taken her mother to get magic, so she failed and it made her feel even worse. Obediently she'd done as she was told, but she knew if she could relive the moment with the power she had no things would have gone differently. Her mother would have been on her knees in agony, and Regina would never have allowed her to hurt her ever again. Reliving the memory was going to give her the satisfaction she'd always wanted. She felt her palms become warm... _

A tortured scream pulled her from her horrible memory. Pulled her back to reality where Emma was the owner of the tortured scream, and she was the owner of glowing red hot hands. Shit!

**_TBC_**

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	20. Red Handed Breakdown

*****DISCLAIMER: I don't own them, just borrowing them and I will return them when I'm through. Well almost all of them…. I'm keeping Regina,… no? Damn, well if I must return her I will. Lol, This story is for entertainment only not meant to upset anyone or offend. Read at your own risk, most of my stories are rated M because its just how I write constructive reviews, and non-hateful dislikes are cool by me, remember this site is here for expression of creativity, not bullying. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**_STORY_**

Emma had screamed Regina's name a few times before she'd howled in agony and latched onto Regina's wrists. The brunette's hands were like lava in her side and she didn't know what to do. Emma could tell Regina wasn't here with her, she was lost in whatever memory had stolen her mind. The look on her face, and her now previously cool scar as a fresh deep wound, gave her the knowledge. Yet here she was in immense pain with no idea what to do. As her last howl of pain reached Regina she saw her snap out of it. Instantly the hands jerked away from her.

Regina looked down in shock. "I didn't mean- oh god Emma I never meant to hurt you. You shouldn't have trusted me-" Regina scrambled away from Emma until she hit the opposite wall and pulled her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them and buried her face in her knees. She felt utterly disgusted with herself.

"Regina-" Emma watched as the older woman retreated from her, like a little kid who was about to be hurt for doing something wrong. Emma shook her head as the dizziness passed from the burst of pain and looked down to her wounds. They both looked seared shut, neither was bleeding anymore and she felt immensely better. "Regina, it's alright." Emma slowly made her way over to Regina and laid a hand on her calf.

Regina jerked her head up and looked at Emma like she was fucking crazy. "Its not alright! I could have killed you! You trusted me and I-"

"Shut up and look at the wounds." Emma put a finger to Regina's lips for a second to quiet her then drew it away as Regina looked down and shock appeared on her face.

She had healed Emma's wounds? But she couldn't heal. "Did I-" No, she couldn't heal.

"Yes Regina I think you did heal them." Emma sighed, she could see the self confidence waning in the brunette as she tried to convince herself she hadn't actually healed Emma. "I do suggest you work on your method though. It definitely isn't for the faint of heart."

"Emma I'm so-" Regina lost the ability to speak. She'd done a style of healing magic, but she'd caused Emma so much pain. As she fought tears she barely finished her sentence, "Sorry." It wasn't enough, nothing would ever be enough but it was all she had.

"Its actually kind of cool, awesome actually. I don't need stitches now." Emma offered Regina a lopsided grin and continued. "Lets stick to band-aids and aspirin for the rest though."

Regina nodded and complied by following Emma to the bathroom to get the supplies. She couldn't figure out why Emma was not screaming at her. The blonde should be furious by now and she wasn't, Regina couldn't understand why. Every injury on Emma was her fault, she'd dragged Emma into this living hell with her, and she knew in her place she'd be angry. She didn't know what was going on. She was already about finished bandaging Emma and still her hands were shaking and she tried not to touch the blonde at all for fear she might hurt her again.

"Regina, calm down. I am fine. Look I know you weren't trying to hurt me." Emma waited but Regina refused to look up at her as she applied the last bandage. "Look at me damn it."

Regina couldn't look up as she finished with the last wound she could bandage. She needed to get somewhere and get some space from Emma, she needed to think. She just needed to step back and head for the door- Emma's command stopped her internal rant in its tracks and she froze.

"You are not the fucking Evil Queen anymore Regina, cut yourself some slack already."

Regina broke, she couldn't form a word, she simply nodded and helped Emma to her bed to rest. The second she'd deposited the blonde she was out the bedroom door. She couldn't do this in front of Emma, she couldn't breathe. The moment she was in the hallway she gasped as sobs began to rack her body. She wanted to get to her study, she wanted to put as much space between her and Emma as possible. With the sobs shaking her the pain in her once again broken ribs brought her to her knees, the blood on her lip mixed with her tears and she curled into herself. She was pathetic, utterly pathetic. At that moment she felt Emma kneel beside her and pull her into her lap. She owed a lot to Emma at this point, she was suppose to be taking care of her and yet her she was bawling like a baby in the blondes lap feet from her bedroom.

Emma said nothing, she'd followed Regina to the hallway and seen her collapse. She knew what Regina was going through, she'd been there herself once or twice. She pulled the woman into her lap and got no resistance, that spoke volumes. Leaning back against the hallway wall she settled in, it was going to be a long night, and as long as Regina let her she was going to be there, and she was going to hold her, and she was going to fight away the demons. For one night she was going to be Regina's white knight, and tomorrow she'd see where they stood.

**_TBC_**

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